Conventional holders (such as holsters or carrying cases) for handheld electronic devices (electronic devices sized to be held or carried in a human hand) may typically include a fabric inner surface, to avoid damage (e.g., scratches) to the device. However, such inner surfaces may interact with and/or activate any infrared-sensitive components of the device, such as an infrared-activated navigation device or function.
For example, a handheld electronic device may include a component that may be activated by an infrared signal, including a navigation function or a navigation device, such as an infrared-activated or infrared-sensitive touch pad. When such a device is placed in a conventional holder, relative movement between the holder inner surface and the device may be detected as intentional input by the component, resulting in undesirable activation of the component. Typically, the device may be rendered passive or placed into sleep mode when placed inside a holder. However, there may be a short period of time before the device is placed into sleep mode, and unintentional or undesirable activation may occur in this period of time.